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Daniel Nest's avatar

I actually think the "conductor" analogy is quite appropriate in the AI era.

We humans will increasingly take on the role of conductors as we "conduct" a team of specialized expert AI tools and models.

Until, of course, we're sent off to the bio farm facility for our molecules or whatever. I dunno, I've been meaning to watch that brand new "Matrix" movie everyone's talking about. I believe Tom Cruise is in it or something?

On a silly side note, I asked ChatGPT to imagine a silly duck character called the "Con Duck Tor," and got this: https://i.imgur.com/00Km2Ai.png

I was hoping for more of a "con man" vibe, but eh, it is what it is.

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Andrew Smith's avatar

As you point out, the ability for AI to make single panel cartoons has just exploded, and it has been a useful test to track.

On the conductor analogy, I think it's also a great way to think about our bodies and minds. Like, we're in charge of *some* things, but it's really just a complex symphony of each organ or area doing its own thing, you know? Same with decision making in the brain.

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Andrew Sniderman 🕷️'s avatar

What the ah is going on with that conductor

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Andrew Smith's avatar

His poor little demon wings never grew in, but they are going to give me nightmares anyway.

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𝐂𝐁 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧's avatar

Certain government leader (both elected and non-elected) could learn a thing or two from this analogy… IF they were willing to read and ABSORB the message.

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Andrew Smith's avatar

And Ivanna toilet made out of solid gold!

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Sum's avatar

It takes a mutual trust between the two (conductor and individual instrumentalist) to arrive at the end product. Good post in this troubled time of lost trust!

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Andrew Smith's avatar

Thanks, Sum! We need to remember that we're all in this together.

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Daniel Gmyrek's avatar

FWIW Arthur Fiedler, conductor of The Boston Pops for 50 years started In 1915, with the Boston Symphony Orchestra as a violinist, He also worked as a pianist, organist, and percussionist.

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Andrew Smith's avatar

There's always that one guy! What a showoff.

Seriously though, folks who can attain such a high note across multiple fields will always blow me away.

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David Perlmutter's avatar

Leaders of any sort of band are like that, because they want the performance to go smoothly, even if it may be wrongfully (for the most part) seen as tyranny. It's doubly important if the bandleader is also the star attraction. James Brown would issue fines to his musicians if they played notes incorrectly, and others in the R&B music field were just as strict.

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Andrew Smith's avatar

Not to mention, Paul McCartney was famously (infamously?) tyrannical with the later Beatles... and yet, I always found myself identifying with Paul's drive to get things done.

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David Perlmutter's avatar

He started Wings so he could get more done without the other Beatles complaining.

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Andrew Smith's avatar

He could really fly with those... wings.

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David Perlmutter's avatar

Uh huh.

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